Adaptive laboratory evolution of Thermoanaerobacter kivui to use CO as sole carbon and energy source

We adapted the thermophilic acetogen Thermoanaerobacter kivui to use CO as sole carbon and energy source. Isolate CO1 exhibited extremely rapid growth on CO and syngas (co-utilizing CO, H2 and CO2) in batch and continuous cultures (µmax ~ 0.25 h-1). The carboxydotrophic phenotype was attributed to the mobilization of a CO-inducible megatransposon originating from the locus responsible for autotrophy in T. kivui.